Chicken & Chickpea Tagine

From EatingWell: November/December 1996 — Subscribe Now!

A tagine is a traditional Moroccan stew, traditionally prepared and served in a vessel called a tagine.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This is simple and delicious. I'm not a spicy food fan, so just used a pinch of cayenne. I diced the sweet potatoes to approximately the same size as the chickpeas and they were perfectly cooked by the time the chicken was done. Next...

8 servings, about 1 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 bone-in chicken thighs, (about 3 pounds), skin and visible fat removed
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 onions, sliced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
4 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, (about 3), peeled and diced
2 14-ounce cans recipe-ready tomatoes, 1 drained
2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes
Harissa, (North African hot pepper paste) to taste

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pot and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Wipe any fat from the pot. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to prevent scorching. Add cumin, saffron and cinnamon sticks; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, orange juice and honey; bring to a simmer.
Return the chicken pieces to the pot, pressing them down into the vegetables. Return to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
Add prunes and continue to simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and harissa to taste.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3; cover and refrigerate up to 3 days in advance or freeze for up to 1 month.

Ingredient note: Harissa, a fiery Tunisian chile paste, is available at specialty-food stores or at amazon.com. Harissa in a tube will be much hotter than that in a jar. You can substitute Chinese or Thai chili-garlic sauce for it.

Nutrition

Per serving: 365 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 50 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrates; 19 g protein; 7 g fiber; 258 mg sodium; 693 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (215% daily value),Vitamin C (62% dv), Potassium (20% dv), Iron (17% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 1/2 vegetable